UNESCO. General Conference; 36th; 36 C/5: volume 1: Draft ...

Major Programme V
Communication and information
Reinforcing impact in 2012-2013
05001 Major Programme V (MP V) has been conceived to reap the benefits that
communication and information hold for the enhancement of democracy,
development and dialogue, placing particular emphasis on freedom of expression
and information. Main lines of action (MLA) 1 and 2 will focus on enhancing the
participation of citizens in communication and information processes, whilst action
under Main line of action 3 will contribute to empowering women and men by
furthering their access to information and knowledge.
Major Programme V
05002 CI’s flagship programmes will be strengthened to highlight the instrumental role of
communication and information in sustainable development. Efforts in this regard
will focus on World Press Freedom Day, the Memory of the World programme,
the Power of Peace Network, the International Programme for the Development of
Communication (IPDC) and on raising extrabudgetary funds to invigorate those
activities as key vehicles for the achievement of MP V goals.
05003 Universal access to information and knowledge, including through the Information
for All Programme (IFAP), will be promoted further so as to bridge the digital and
knowledge divides and empower citizens, including the most marginalized. Renewed
focus will be given to the Programme in recognition of the increasing opportunities
that ICTs can provide for development, and to unlock the potential that Open Access
and emerging technologies hold for advancing progress towards internationallyagreed
development goals in the areas of education, sciences and culture. ICTs for
development provide unprecedented opportunities for enhanced cooperation with
all sectors. A particular achievement will be the expansion of the Open Educational
Resources platform, which will provide long-term benefits particularly for UNESCOtargeted
priority groups. Efforts will be consolidated to tap into the potential of mobile
technology for development to improve access to information and applications for
education, sciences and culture. MP V will be spearheading UNESCO’s contribution
to the Broadband Commission for Digital Development, emphasizing the production
and dissemination of local content, as well as linguistic and cultural diversity in
cyberspace as key elements that go hand-in-hand with the infrastructure and
connectivity dimension of broadband roll-out.
05004 Emphasis will be placed on increasing the Organization’s role in the international
Internet governance debate concerning issues of content, especially those that are at
the core of UNESCO’s mandate e.g. freedom of expression, freedom of information,
multilingualism, and local content creation. Free, independent and pluralistic media
facilitate good governance by creating and developing productive relations between
an informed, critical, and participatory population and governments, which is a
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